Gail Pidduck grew up on a citrus ranch in Santa Paula, enjoying the rolling fields and scenery. She attended college in Utah, where she was originally studying to be an elementary school teacher. As a self-described introvert, she was less than excited to student teach (to put it lightly). She was taking a class in her junior year, “Art for Elementary School Teachers”, her first experience with art, when she decided to take the leap from teaching to art.

She worked hard to catch up with her peers who had been studying art since a young age. On a college student’s budget, she started with drawing and an acrylic kit she was gifted.

Once Pidduck graduated, she focused on raising her three kids. When they started preschool, she began private lessons, focusing on still lifes. From there, she shifted to painting the fields and field workers that surrounded her while she was growing up.

The 2017 Thomas Fire was a turning point for Gail Pidduck and her work. After spending weeks putting out smoldering fires, her perspective changed. She was no longer interested in painting just for the viewer. Instead, she focused on painting to appreciate her surroundings and became “unbound” by expectations. She’s painting what she wants to paint, instead of being focused on painting what she believes will sell.

Now, you can find Pidduck painting in her studio, alongside her son, a potter. She’ll probably have her headphones in, listening to a murder mystery. Her studio was originally a machine shop; she loves the big airplane hangar doors that open to the gorgeous landscape.

She tries to paint every weekday, kept busy by working on multiple pieces at a time. While she’s also used acrylics, Pidduck works mainly in oil because it allows her to take her time and the colors remain the same.

You can view Gail Pidduck’s stunning paintings of California at Fox Fine Jewelry from August until early November. Join us for her reception on August 5th.